Adjustable partition-post support



W. G FRENCH ADJUSTABLE PARTITION-POST SUPPORT Sept. 18, 1956 2,763,342

1 Filed Sept. 28. 1954 INVENTOR #42210; any/m.

United States Patent ADJUSTABLE PARTITION POST SUPPORT William G. French, Jamestown, N. Y., assignor to Aetna SteelProducts Corporation, New York, N. Y.

Application September 28, 1954,-Serial No. 458,800

.5 Claims. (Cl. 189-.-42)

This invention relates to portable partitions and more particularly to an adjustable partition-post support.

It is well recognized that the location of a large number of workers within a single chamber results in inefliciency due to confusion, distraction, noise and interference 'between personnel, but the cost and waste of space required by more or less permanent partitions formerly precluded the desired privacy for workers. More recently, portable partition units have been employed, these units being capable of assembly in various arrangementsto provide at least semi-private work stations without waste of space or undue expense. Portable partition units of this type are disclosed in applicants copending application .Serial No. 354,235, filed May 11, 1953.

These prior partition units are assembled in Leshaped or T- shaped structures to provide the necessary upright a partition wall supporting post anchoring means which jointly provides for anchoring the posts to ;a floor and also for vertically adjusting the posts for-proper lev'elof the panels throughout the length of the wall.

Anotheriobject of theinventio'n is to provide a post anchorage bracket adapted for rigid connection with a floor and having operatively associated therewith ,post adjusting means and means for provi'ding rigiditybetween =t-he post and the bracket.

Afurther' object of the invention is to providea partition unit post anchor and adjustable support bracket having simplicity of design, economy. of construction and eff ciency in operation.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts through the several figures and in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view as observed in the plane of line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a view partially in elevation and partially in vertical section with the post broken away above the anchorage means;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the bracket with the leveling means omitted;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the anchoring bracket as observed from the left of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a view of a pressure bar embodied in the 2,763,342 Patented Sept. .18, 19156 -.s,tructure and which is shown partially in elevation and partially in vertical section.

Referringnow in :detail to;the drawing, the improved structurein accordance withthe invention comprises a bracket 10 which includesabase 11, which preferably is rectangular, and asubstantially centrally disposed upright,12 rigidly supported by said base. The base 11 is provided with .apluralityof apertures13, preferably adjacent the corners thereof, for-the reception of suitable serews or ,bolts for :anchoring the bracket to the floor.

The base ll'is further provided with an aperture 14 adjacent one side of the upright-12.

The upright 12 is adapted to be surrounded by a partition supporting post P and the upright preferablysub- -s tantially corresponds in, cross-section to the internal configuration of the post P. In the illustratedexample, the

.post'P is octagonal and the upright likewise is of octagonal section, or rather generally rectangular with bevelled corners. It willbeunderstood, however, that the upright 11 2 .may be of different cross-.section to correspond to posts of different configuration. understood that the upright need not correspondto the configuration-of the post but it is preferred that they Moreover, it will be correspond to provide greater lateralsupport and rigidity.

According to the-illustrated embodiment, the upright .12 isprovided with three planar sides .15, with bevelled corners v therebetween, the fourth sidelS having a Vertically disposed channel -16 ,the rein. A pIurality of horizont'ally disposed, vertically spaced projections 17 are rigidly fixed in the channel 16 ,'these projections 17 P1'0- trude from the base .wall of the channel 16 =and, pr.eferably, are semi-circularin shape to form cams.

Although the upright 12 preferably corresponds .generallytothe configuration ofthe interior of the post'P,

.at least'the. distance betweenthe wall 15' and the wall 15 opposite theretoissomewhat less than the distance between thexcorresponding interior walls of thepost P. o fill this space andfrictionally clamp the post P'rigidly to the upright .12, a bar 24 is disposed longitudinally within the channel 16, this bar 24 preferably being substantially rectangular and-havinga-width substantially equal to the width. of the channellG and a depth at least .as great as that of the channel.

I he bar--24 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally tspaced,-transversely extending re-entrant .cam surfaces 25, -:a.d p ed to respectively.receivethe cams 17-within the vchannel 16. The'sereentrant canisurfaces 25 are in the .formo'f-transverse'notchesme lower walls of which are inclined longitudinallyof the ,bar 24 sothatengagement of these surfaceswith the cams 17 will force the bar outwardly upon longitudinal upward-movement of the bar. The upperportionslpf the notches preferably are alienate and concentricwith the cams 17 so asito' hook over the cams when 'tullyfln sted in the channel 16.

The bar 24 is providetlwith a longitudinally extending internally threaded bore 26 opening through its lower end and a bolt 27 is threaded into the bore 26, the bolt 27 having a head 28 engageable with the base 11 for supporting the bar 24. In use, the bolt 27 is threaded into the bar 24 so as to lower the bar and permit its seating fully in the channel 16. The lower end of a post P is then fitted over the upright 12 and bar 24 with its upper end spaced above the base 11 of the bracket 10 to permit access to the bolt head 28. The bolt 27 is then threaded out of the bar 24 which causes the bar to raise from the base 11 because of the bearing of the bolt head 28 on the base 11. As the bar 24 is lifted, the cam surface 25 bear against the cams 17 and force the bar 24 away from the upright 12 until the outer surface of the bar and the opposite surface 15 of the upright frictionally engage the opposite interior surfaces of the post P.

In long runs of the partition units, it is desirable to support the posts P at uniform elevations despite unevenness of the floor. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an adjustable support in conjunction with the bracket and this support preferably comprises a U-shaped plate 18 having opposed arms 19 connected by a cross or bight portion 20 which is provided with a centrally disposed internally threaded aperture 21.

The plate 18 is horizontally disposed with its arms 19 snugly straddling the upright 12 and with the inner edge substantially engaging the adjacent wall of the upright. In this position the threaded aperture 21 overlies the aperture 14 in the base plate 11 and a screw 22, having a reduced end 23, is threaded through the aperture 21 and has its reduced end 23 journalled in the aperture 14. Thus, the screw 22 is supported vertically by its end 23 journalled in the aperture 14 and supports the plate 18 horizontally and at selected elevation in straddling relation'to the upright 12 so as to provide a bearing support for the lower end of a post P fitted over the upright 12 and clamp bar 24.

In operation, when setting up an elongated partition unit assembly, the brackets 10 are positioned in spaced relation along the floor and secured thereto, if necessary, by screws or bolts inserted through the bolt holes 13. A clamp bar 24 is then inserted in the channel 16 of each upright 12, the screw 27 of each bar being threaded into the bar to permit necessary retraction into the channel. A post P is then placed over the upright 12 and bar 24 so that it rests on the plate 18, The bolt 22 is then rotated, if necessary, to support the plate 18 at the desired elevation for the post P. The bolt 27 is thereafter rotated by means of a wrench spanning the head 28, the upright 12 being provided with a wrench clearance recess 29 in its base to permit operation of the wrench. The bolt 27 is threaded out of the bar 24 to cause the bar to elevate until the inner surfaces of the post P are tightly engaged by the bar and upright. A foot sleeve S is then slipped over the post P to provide a finished appearance.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

That which is claimed as new is:

1. A post supporting bracket for portable partition units or the like, comprising a base, an upright member on said base for insertion in the lower hollow end of a partition unit post, and expansible clamp means cooperative with said upright for engagement with the opposite inner walls of the post to support the post rigidly in upright position, said expansible clamp means comprising a clamp member movable vertically relative to said upright member, cam means between said clamp member and said upright member for urging said members apart when said clamp mem ber is moved vertically, and means cooperating with said clamp member and reacting against said base for moving said clamp member vertically relative to said base.

2. A post supporting bracket as defined in claim 1, wherein said cam means comprises a plurality of convex projections on one of said members and a like number of concave recesses in the other one of said members for respectively nesting said projections, the lower portions of said recesses having inclined surfaces reacting with said projections for forcing the members apart.

3. A post supporting bracket for portable partition units or the like, comprising a base plate, an upright fixed on said base plate and having a vertically disposed channel in one side, a bar-like member nested in said channel and adapted for insertion with said upright into the lower end of a hollow post, cam means between said bar-like member and said upright for camming said member from said upright when said member is elevated, said member having an internally threaded bore extending vertically therein and opening through the lower end thereof, and a bolt threaded in said bore and bearing on said base plate for raising said member to cause spreading of said member and upright to engage the opposite inner walls of a post mounted thereover.

4. A bracket for adjustably and rigidly supporting a post for portable partition units, comprising a base, an upright on said base for loose insertion in the lower hollow end of the post and provided with a vertically extending channel, and expansible clamp means cooperative with said upright and slidable within said channel for engagement with the opposite inner walls of the post after said post has been adjusted to proper vertical position to rigidly support the post in its vertically adjusted upright position.

5. A bracket for adjustably and rigidly supporting a post having a hollow lower end, comprising a base, an upright rigidly fixed on said base and having a vertically disposed channel in one side, a bar-like member nested in said channel, said upright and member being adapted to have the lower hollow end of the post telescoped thereover, cam means between said bar-like member and said upright for camming said member from said upright upon elevation of said member, said member having a tapped bore opening through the bottom thereof, and a bolt threaded in said bore and bearing on said base for elevating said member to cam said member and upright apart and into frictional engagement with the opposite inner walls of the post to rigidly support the post at the desired elevation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,611,935 Mitchell Dec. 28, 1926 1,650,093 Rank et al Nov. 22, 1927 2,280,220 Crosby Apr. 21, 1942 2,380,692 Gunnison July 31, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 390,701 Great Britain Apr. 13, 1933 

